A Shorten Labor Government will invest $4 million to build a new home for Surfing WA at Trigg Beach, supporting the more than 170,000 West Australians who regularly enjoy surfing.

No matter if it’s the river, pool or beach, enjoying water is part of Australian life and Western Australians have embraced surfing.

Each year Surfing WA provides 250,000 hours of surf education, training around 65,000 kids, beginners and elite surfers with surfing and water safety skills.

The new headquarters will feature more space for surfing lessons, water safety programs, training of judges and officials, increased storage and more workspace for staff.

This will help Surfing WA continue to support 31 surf clubs along the WA coast and the 70 primary and high schools who benefitted from their education programs in 2018.

Nationally, Surfing WA is the number one state for delivering the grassroots SurfGroms program which teaches 5-12 years old the fundamentals of surfing.

Labor’s investment will also help Surfing WA continue to run four international surfing events, including the annual world tour Margaret River Pro, and local and regional contests throughout WA most weekends.

In 2018 Surfing WA expanded their regional footprint with more than 65% of organised surfing in the state now held in regional WA.

Labor’s investment will also support Surfing WA to identify, train and nurture the next generation of Australian surfing heroes like Western Australia’s own Taj Burrow, current women’s world champion Stephanie Gilmore, fellow seven-time world champion Layne Beachley and three-time men’s world champion Mick Fanning.